By Nayra Halajian
On the afternoon of Monday Nov. 7, University Chaplain, Reverend Dave Wright, sent out an email to the campus community regarding the death of a fellow Logger, Eric Heins.
Eric is remembered as “a profound blessing to his family and friends,” in an obituary written by his parents.
“He honed his debate skills in school as well as over the family’s dinner table. He tasted the college life at University of Puget Sound. He was able to experience loving relationships. The pleasures and highlights of his life lie with the simple things.”
It continues, “His intelligence, quick wit, and the inner strength that allowed him to overcome so much made those who loved him cherish his company.”
In the email to campus, Wright said, “One of the most difficult things we can face as a campus is the loss of a fellow Logger.”
According to the email, before coming to Puget Sound, Eric attended high school in Logan, Utah. Last year, his parents moved to Port Townsend, Washington.
“He is survived by his parents, Paul and Carrie, and his older sister Lydia,” stated the email. “While not all of us had the chance to know Eric, in a community such as ours any loss can send ripples of grief and sorrow throughout the campus.”
Some resources for those grieving include the Counseling, Health, and Wellness which is open from 1-3 p.m. each day for drop in hours, and will be coordinating additional time to be available to those groups closest to Eric.
“Above all, take care, and know that even in these deeply painful moments we are in a place that can and will move through this loss together,” concluded the email.
The Trail reached out to Reverend Dave Wright who commented, “While I didn’t have the honor to know Eric personally, over the past few days I’ve had the chance to talk with some of his friends, faculty, and classmates. While Eric didn’t have a large circle of friends, I’ve been struck by the care and connections both within a tight-knit group of peers as well as within some of his classes. It’s been good to get to know him, just a little bit, from those who were close to him.
There will be a service to celebrate Eric’s life on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the First Presbyterian Church of Port Townsend. His family “wishes that all gifts be directed to suicide prevention causes.”